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Friday, December 31, 2010

And so we say goodbye to another year of tears and laughter, calm and chaos, love and heartbreak, but before that last bell tolls we celebrate the year because good or bad it has made you who you are. So, for this final post of 2010, Lab Tech Andi has tabulated your favorites, the ones you couldn't keep quiet about, the ones that made you want to reach out to the author. Tread lightly as you make your way to the blue at the back of the shack, knock the beat of "I got a feelin'" by the Black Eyed Peas and the password is "Auld Lang Syne". Be Safe!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The sunlight shattered into a million different colored beams of light as it filtered through the raindrops that uselessly attempted with every last molecule to cling to the window of the lab. Each beam was then reflected back a million times, scattered around the room, dancing on the walls as I moved. Strong hands wrapped around my waist, lifting me high into the air, and I laughed. I raised my arms to reach for what I desired and as my fingers nimbly plucked it from high above me, it sent down a shower of stars, and again I laughed.

“Wow! Andi, you have tinsel and glitter all over you!” Bella exclaimed as she reached out for the ornament in my hand.

“It wasn’t my idea to put extra glitter on the garland,” I responded with a smile. “But now I sparkle like you!” Jasper gently set me down on my feet again and I ruffled his hair, sending more glitter into the air like pixie dust.

Bella laughed. “Yes, I suppose you do.” Then she taped up the box and dashed out of the room with it.

“Hey, Alice! We’re leaving the lights out, right?” Emmett asked from the other side of the room. He and Rose were taking down the tree and where that marvelous tree once stood, now there were only a few boxes of ornaments beside a bare evergreen.

“Yes, we’re reusing the lights for New Year’s Eve. So, just put them some place safe and we’ll get to them in a little bit.” Alice answered him, all the while her fingers continued to tap away on the keyboard at my desk.

“So, Alice, what are you researching anyway?” I asked her as I started walking towards the computer.

“Well, we’ve never had so many humans around before during the holidays and I know there are a lot of New Year’s Day traditions that people celebrate, so I want to make sure we’re prepared.”

I sat down in the chair on the other side of my desk, “The only traditions my family ever observed was to put money in your shoe and eat cabbage.”

“And what’s that supposed to do?” asked Jasper as he sat on the corner of my desk.

“Cabbage is supposed to represent paper money,” Alice answered him. “It’s supposed to bring wealth into the New Year, but I haven’t seen anything about money in your shoe. Is that for wealth too?”

“I guess so; it’s just something my dad did. He would put a hundred dollar bill in his sock, under his foot; that way he was walking on money all day long. He said it was good luck.” I said with a shrug.

“That sounds really silly.” Emmett added and then flashed over to join us.

“Actually, it seems there are a lot of traditions like that. Such as the tradition of the ‘first footer’, this is the first person to enter a home after midnight. Snopes.com states that the first footer will influence the kind of year you’re about to have. That this person should be a dark-haired, tall, and good-looking male, and should come bearing gifts such as a lump of coal to represent warmth, a silver coin to represent wealth, a bit of bread to represent abundance of food, a sprig of evergreen to represent longevity, and some salt to bring prosperity. Blonde and redhead first footers bring bad luck, and female first footers should be shooed away before they bring disaster down on the household. Aim a gun at them if you have to, but don't let them near your door before a man crosses the threshold.” Alice laughed as she read the last line and Emmett was doubled over from watching Rosalie’s face.

Jasper walked over to Emmett and playfully punched him on the arm, “So, I guess you’re our designated first footer.”

“The Dutch believe that eating donuts will bring good fortune because they are commonly in the shape of a ring which symbolizes coming full circle.

“There’s also a Sicilian belief that lasagna is the lucky food and that all other noodles are bad luck.

“In Spain and Peru, they eat one grape for each of the 12 months in the year ahead, but the Peruvians add a 13th grape to further ensure their luck.

The Chinese believe red is good luck and put all knives away for the day, so that no one cuts themselves, thereby cutting the family’s good luck for the coming year.”

Jasper broken in, “Maybe we should ban paper too.” Alice rolled her eyes and turned back to the monitor.

Alice continued, “In Denmark, on New Year’s Eve, people throw old dishes at the front doors of their friends’ houses to show they care. So if they wake up to a large pile of broken dishes at their door, it’s a sign that they are blessed with many friends.”

Emmett looked over at Bella, “Hey Bells, do you think Charlie would let that one fly here?”

“No way,” she shook her head, “the town would completely freak out.”

“Ok, Alice, so what about the ones for the United States?” Emmett asked, impatience tinting his voice.

“Let’s see,” Alice scrolled up and down the screen. “Besides, cabbage, there’s collard greens and black-eyed peas for wealth.”

“How would anyone know, they’re still human aren’t they?” Emmett asked lowering his voice. Then Rosalie smacked the back of his head.

“Not THE Black-Eyed Peas you boob! A black-eyed pea is a bean that people eat.” She told him and then walked away. Emmett just stood there rubbing his head.

“How was I supposed to know?” He asked the back of Rose’s head and then turned back to us. “I don’t eat beans.” We all laughed and Bella and Jasper went back to disassembling Christmas with Rose; Emmett followed.

“You know, this has really been a pretty good year.” I mused aloud to no one in particular.

“Yes, it really has,” Alice responded and then added, “but just wait until you see next year.” And the small smile told me she wasn’t going to share any more.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So, here we are once again, standing on the doorstep of a New Year just waiting for father time to open the door and let us in. And while we stand here and ponder the year gone-by, why not bide our time by re-reading a few of your favorite fics that have been featured at the shack. I’ve taken the time and crunched the numbers for over 140 tales, trying to put all these fics on level ground and here are my results:

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Yet again, I had an oppuritnty to see Jackson Rathbone... twice in one month!!

His band, 100 Monkeys, played the House of Blues in New Orleans last night. And they rocked my socks off! I only knew one song, Wings on Fire, (Thanks Anna) but in all they were really good. They made up two songs for the evening, Show me your Beads and Fake it till you Take it. LOL

So here are some pics of Jackson Rathbone aka Jasper Hale with his band 100 Monkeys!!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Ok Shacksters, you need to run home, put on your comfy clothes, and then head over to the shack asap. Lab Tech Andi's passing out candy canes, fics, and just for today she'll be reading a very special version of "Twas the night before Christmas" that I know you won't want to miss. So when you get to the blue door at the back of the shack, knock the tune of "Santa Baby" and the password is "Merry Christmas". Be Safe!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the Love Shack
Not a creature was sleeping, can you imagine that?
The lab had been decorated from ceiling to floor,
Guarantying that, for the holidays, it looked nothing like before.
Alice and Bella came to set out some food,
While Edward played Christmas carols to get us in the mood.
The authors were all dressed up in their holiday attire,
I'm sure to gain the attention of their favorite vampire.

When out in the back we heard an earthshaking sound,
I threw the door open and looked all around.
The waning gibbous moon shining down from the sky,
Gave the splendor of twilight to the forest nearby
And what to my curious eyes should I see,
But Emmett waving down to us from high in a tree.
"Oh, silly vampire, what are you doing up there?"
Rosalie turned to me and said "He thought he smelled a bear."
I smiled and told her, "Then we should all go inside"
Pointing up at Emmett, "Don't you think that I've tried?"
"Come on Rose, let's leave him; he'll come in when he's ready
If he doesn't find the bear, I'll give my teddy."

The music had changed by the time we walked in,
And she laughed when she looked at me with a small grin.
By the glow of the twinkling lights on the tree,
Everybody was dancing where the desks used to be.
Suddenly there was a thud overhead,
When the roof began to crackle, I started to dread.

Faster than cheetahs, Alice raced through the room,
Moving everyone before the roof gave away with a boom.
Among all the rubble sat Emmett looking quite pleased,
Despite that his clothes were shredded from his head to his knees.
His eyes -- how golden! His dimples -- how snappy!
"I got that bear Rosie! Now I'm so happy!"
"But look what you've done to the roof of this place!"
Rose yelled at him while the smile dropped from his face.
Alice trying to calm Rose with her fairy-like charm,
She placed her tiny hand on Rose's arm.
"Oh Rose! It'll be fine. Jasper's on his way.
I sent him out to get lumber today."

It wasn't much longer before Jasper arrived
And he helped clean up the damage that we'd survived.
We turned up the music as Jasper and Emmett worked,
And little by little Rose looked a little less irked.

In just a few short hours the roof was all mended,
That's when we noticed that Carlisle's shift at the hospital had ended.
So when the door flew open without any warning,
We cheered because this party would go until morning,
Now that Carlisle and Esme had finally come in
We laughed as we shared what a night this had been.

Then Alice called our attention to look outside
She flashed to the door and threw it open wide;
Excitedly she exclaimed as we watched the flakes of white
"Merry Christmas to all, and for all it will be a good-night."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

With the holidays still upon us, I know time is precious, so I only have two angel-like stories to share.

My first angel was discovered in a beautiful little fic called “The Holy Dark” by KayRayLovesLove. For 3000 years, Edward and Bella have been apart from each other, two halves of the same whole, being each other’s guardian angel when it’s their turn to roam the earth. Except this time, she’s just so beautiful and he simply can’t spend another lifetime without her. He knows the reason why they aren’t together, why they trade places in the heavens each lifetime, but he still has freewill, the power of choice. What will he choose and what consequences come with that choice? You’ll have to read to find out. **Update - The author of this story passed away before this story could be finished. What she did write is beautiful and I love it even if it was incomplete. Just thought you'd like to know. **http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5972130

My second angel is also a guardian, but he’s here to help in a tale called “The Greatest Gift” by les16. For a very long time, Edward Cullen, has not been the nicest of people. As the CEO of Cullen Publishing, he had a successful company, a beautiful, loving wife, and more money than he could spend in 10 lifetimes, so he really didn’t think he needed to be nice. However, a fateful plane ride with a mysterious flight companion will make this man re-think everything he’s done in his life. But first Edward will need to fix his relationship with his wife, Isabella, if he’s even going to scratch the surface towards righting the wrongs of his past before it's too late.http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6458894

So to go along with these tasty little slices of heaven, here’s an excellent recipe for “Divinity”:

Saturday, December 18, 2010

As most of you know already through FaceBook, I have mortally killed Lisa, the owner of this blog. LOL I attended the Best Buy Eclipse signing today in Baton Rouge and guess who was there???

Our very own Jasper Hale!! Yes ladies, the lovely Jackson Rathbone was present and as most of you saw on Face Book, I got Jackson to give Lisa and the blog site a shout out!!!

And little does she know, someone made posters for the guys and the crowd signed them, and yes... I signed it with Dr. Cullen's Love Shack!!!! see....

Did she fall over again????? LOL

And this is about the best pic of Jackson I got! But don't despair... My friends are sending me theirs so I will be posting more of him!

And since we are dedicated to the Cullen Men, as a special treat, The Wonderful Robert Pattinson PRE SIGNED an Eclipse poster to be given out at the event to the first 100 people and YES! I was one of them!!!!

So in all, my day was pretty EPIC and I thin Lisa liked her little Christmas present I sent her!

Enjoy Shackers! And I promise, as I get more Jackson pictures, I will post them for all to see!!!!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Oh my lovely addicts! I know the holidays are getting in the way of all the things you really crave. Sadly, I think it hits us all, but Lab Tech Andi understands and the sweet deals she has to pass out won't require you to forgo those holiday chores. So, after everything is done and the gifts are under the tree, give yourself the gift that won't wear out by knocking the carol "O, Christmas Tree" on the blue door at the back of the shack and when they ask the password is “Suprise”. Be Safe!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was cold but not nearly as cold as it has been. Regardless, I ran anyway. I knew it wouldn’t keep me from getting any wetter, but at least it would mean I could be safely inside sooner. I hurriedly flung the lab door open and shut it behind me as quickly as I could manage in order to keep as much of what lurked outside out of my warm and comfortable space. I shivered in the darkness.

Wait, why is it so dark in here? I usually at least had the illumination from the fish tank wall, but strangely even that was dark. I juggled my bag and papers as I fumbled along the wall searching for a switch and promptly ran head first into an adjacent wall. I felt my belongings fall from my arms as I stumbled back, preparing for impact with the floor, but the floor never came. Instead, a strong pair of arms swept me up and set me on my feet on the other side of the room.

My heart began to beat wildly and I knew without a doubt that who ever was in the lab could hear it. I should have been afraid but I remained irrationally calm. That only meant one thing.

“Jasper? What’s going on?” I asked into the blackness. Then I heard the muffled giggle of a child while a tiny hand slid into mine and one miniature light at a time floated into view. Had it been the right season, I would have thought that the lab was infested with fireflies, but it was entirely too cold for that. The little points of light swirled and danced all around me occasionally changing color before settling themselves in front of me, illuminating their perch. With eyes open wide, I gasped as I gazed at the most beautiful Christmas tree I’d ever seen.

As my peripheral vision began to brighten, I started to take notice of the other decorations that had been placed all around the lab. Wreaths, garland, and lights hung from every vertical surface. There was even a small toy train that traveled through a small intricate village setup in one corner of the room. My mind was racing, but I was completely speechless.

Edward’s velvety laugh broke though my awed thoughts and all the Cullen’s faces came into focus. I looked down at the hand that had a hold of mine. Renesmee smiled up at me and asked, “Did you like our surprise, Andi?”

I crouched down so that I was eye-level with her, “Nessie, sweetheart, like is not a strong enough word; I’m so amazed by all this, there are simply no words for how much I love this.” I smiled my biggest smile at her and she wrapped her tiny arms around my neck. “Thank you, all of you” and I glanced around to all of them and they smiled back.

Edward crouched down beside me and looked between me and his daughter, “Nessie, got inspired by a display we saw in Chicago and when she mentioned it to Alice they spent the rest of the trip planning. Nessie, the vision you created for Andi was so good.”

“Thanks, Daddy! That was fun!” and she giggled again, jumping into his arms as we both stood.

“This was the best gift and it’s one I can share with all my authors, Thanks Alice!” I responded smiling back at her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The rest of the evening was spent talking about their trip to Chicago, but while we chatted casually about holiday displays and flight delays, I thought about all the little gifts, like discovering all the amazingly talented authors and all the fun fic addicts I’ve met just by being a member of the Love Shack. So this week’s stories all have little gifts and surprise miracles in them.

My first gift was found in the “Clockwork” by Derdriu oFaolain. In this gripping tale, Bella Swan is a physicist for the war effort against Germany in 1942. Being the only woman among all male peers is especially challenging, since they don’t really want to take her seriously, despite the fact that she graduated in the top of her class. However, a very small discovery will soon turn her world upside down. Meanwhile in 2010, Edward Cullen is also a very brilliant scientist who suffers from a sevear case of post traumatic stress disorder caused by war in his time. What he doesn’t know yet is that his future is trying to change the present by digging into the past. How is Edward’s existence linked to Bella’s? You’ll have to pick up this fic to find out and you won’t be sorry, I promise. But I will tell you this, the Alice in this is evil in a very unique way and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that in a fic before. I’m just certain there’s more to be discovered about that character then the author has revealed yet.http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5996248

My second selfless gift was found “Under the Red Umbrella” by Buff82. This intensely beautiful one-shot proves that sometimes fate has reasons for things that are not always fully understood until you need to know them. Bella Swan had always wanted to see New York, so she took all her savings to plan the trip of a lifetime. However, when she simply performs a simple act of kindness for a stranger, it will change her life forever.http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6278484

My last gift was found in this very sweet tale called “I'll Always Be With You” by LovelyinLavender. There are lots of changes in-store for Bella and Charlie as they uproot their lives from the small town of Forks, WA to move to Chicago, IL and into a very old house, but there's something different about this house. Like any old house, it has its strange sounds and could use some TLC, but not all old houses have their very own ghost. What if Edward had died in 1918 from the Spanish Influenza, and what if he never really left his former home? What will Bella think about living with a specter?http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4525640

So to go along with these beautiful gifts like stories, I’m going to recommend a little drink that has the name of a gift, “Mir”

Instructions1 oz Vodka1 oz whiskeyFill with Coca-Cola

Mixing InstructionsPour both shots over rocks into a highball glass. Fill with coke, or soda of your choice.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Evening Shackers!!! Coming out with some amazing news from TwilightFB. This evening they released some information on how to get an Eclipse DVD signed by certain actors and actress' from the movie beginning this weekend!

From Dallas Tx, to Salt Lake City UT to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Phoenix AZ to Denver Co to New York NY, nine stars from Eclipse will be on hand to sign Eclipse DVD's at local Best Buy's!!!

You can find out all the information at www.eclipse-themovie.com or www.bestbuy.com. From what I understand, you must purchase a DVD in order to have it signed by the star(s) in attendance. Which sucks for me because I already own three copies!!! LOL

Friday, December 10, 2010

Oh the weather outside might be frightful, but the fics Lab Tech Andi has managed to dig up are ever so delightful. So, if you’re snowed in or simply have nowhere else to go, follow the well worn path to blue door behind Dr. Cullen’s Love Shack, knock the tune of “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” and the password is “Chicago”. Be Safe!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Global warming my ass!! I thought to myself as I moved several files and a few other items to the back of the lab. It was getting colder here at the shack and I just could stand that blast of winter air every time the door flew open. So I was moving my workspace to a warmer part of the lab in an effort to not freeze my tail off.

“Hey, Andi!” I heard a familiar voice shout as I continued to put a few things away.

“I’m back here!” I shouted back and before I even finished the sentence, Bella appeared around the corner. She tilted her head as if to question what I was doing, but decided against actually asking and just sat down.

“So, what brings you by?” I asked her sitting on the edge of my desk.

“Well, I was wondering if you could load up my kindle with some new stories,” she said pulling it out of her bag. “Edward and I are taking Nessie to Chicago to see his parents’ house and catch a few holiday shows while we’re there. But the flight is going to be long, so I thought it would be nice to have something to read.” She looked down at her lap as if she was afraid to impose.

“Oh, silly Bella!” I stood and walked over to her, “It would be my pleasure to get you whatever you need for your trip.” Then I took the gadget from her and put it on my desk. “Would four hours be quick enough?”

“That would be great!” she answered enthusiastically and her face brightened as I dug through the box of cables I had sitting beside my desk.

“So what are you planning to see?” trying to make some small talk as I finally located the correct cable and turned on my computer.

“Well, there’s a production of Rudolph, the red nosed reindeer at a place called Mary’s Attic that’s supposed to be really good and we thought Nessie would like that. Then on Friday, Edward wants to go to Davenport’s Piano Bar to hear a performance of some Rosemary Clooney holiday tunes. He says it’s supposed to be good.”

“Wow! That sounds really wonderful.” I said, my machine finally up and fully functional. “So will it just be you, Edward, and Nessie going?”

“Nope, Alice and Rose want to do some shopping, so they’re coming too, but Emmett and Jasper are staying here.”

“Oh, no! You have to take those two with you!” I told her, “They cause trouble when they’re bored.”

“Rosalie was a little worried about that, but Alice assures us that they will not be bothering you. They are battling each other in a Guitar Hero competition.” She said with a small giggle and shaking her head.

“Ok, but if they start pranking my authors, I’m calling you guys.”

“That’s fine, I’m sure you won’t need to. I guess I’d better get back to packing or Alice will do it for me.” Then she stood, “Thanks Andi”

“Anytime, Bella” and she flew out the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As I plugged in Bella’s Kindle and started sifting through stories I thought she might like, thoughts of the windy city just wouldn’t leave me. So, I decided a virtual flight to Edward’s birthplace was in order.

My first tale blew in on the breath of a wish titled “Only Human” by Amethyst Jackson. Edward and Bella have been on a month long honeymoon seeing the world, enjoying every second of married life. Edward had made good on his promise to give Bella every human experience, making her so happy that when it came time for her make a birthday wish, she closed her eyes, blew out her candles and wished that she could give Edward the same human experiences. Upon opening her eyes, she knows that something’s not right when she bumps into a very human Edward walking the streets of Chicago in 1918. How did she get here and will she ever find her way back to her time? Will her being there, change the future that they have together? This was one of the first fan fics I read, so if you haven’t read this one yet, it’s a must.http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4293411

My next windy story is a wonderful little one-shot called “The Lights of Chicago” by ARenee363. Jasper Hale knows there has to be more to life than this. His last long term relationship ended in major disappointment when he found out they really didn’t want the same things, so in his desire for a clean break, he moved to Chicago to be with friends and family. It’s been a while since that move and he’s managed to settle into a comfortable routine, so what happens when a new girl moves in down the hall to shake things up a little. Could he suddenly have everything he dreamed of?http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5381033

My next breeze blew in this feisty little one-shot tale called, “Security Measures” by Reni Simon. Alice wants to throw a first class bachelorette party for Rosalie, but living in such a Podunk town doesn’t provide many options, so when Bella suddenly has to make a business trip to Chicago, Alice gives her a mission to acquire party favors and bring them back upon her return. The issue is that she only packed the one carry-on bag and she has to take it through airport security. With airport security all ramped up and ready to frisk anyone at the slightest suspicion, will Bella be able to make it home with said party favors? Just how much suspicion warrants a full body cavity search?http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5995314

My last breeze brought with it an incredible fic called “An American Vampire in Chicago” by Just4ALE. Bella Swan is a graduate student in the business school when she meets Edward Cullen, a Biology PhD student. Bella is beautiful, intelligent, and intriguing which are probably the only things keeping Edward from falling off the wagon and tasting her. The smell of her blood is like nothing he’s ever experienced, and he just can’t keep away from her, but a call from Alice keeps him at a distance. However, no amount of distance will keep Edward from falling in love with her. Will she return his affection or be afraid to find out what he really is?http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4948421

Now whether your weather is warm or cold this time of year, right now Chicago is covered in snow, so to go along with this windy city weather trend, I suggest have a little “Frozen Chicago”.

Ingredients2 Scoops Vanilla Ice Cream1 oz. Irish Cream

Mixing InstructionsCombine all ingredients into blender with some crushed ice and blend until a smooth, thick creamy texture. Finish drink with a milkshake straw.